Derwent Inktense 100 Set Review Colored Pencils
Derwent Inktense 100 Set Review Colored Pencils
In this review we take a deep dive into the Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils, this is a product completely unique to Derwent and although not a new product in the art world, the 100 set is very much new. In this review we will take a look at the characteristics of the pencil, the various sets available in the Inktense range, tests I have conducted and artwork.
As I mentioned, the Inktense range or pencil is not new to the Derwent arsenal, however, the expansion of the range has flourished in the last year and a half. This includes the inclusion of Inktense blocks, pan sets, sets of XL Blocks and perhaps most importantly, the increase from a 72 set to the new 100 set of pencils.
Derwent Inktense Characteristics
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Derwent Inktense blocks and pencils, is that they are just like watercolour pencils and I will try to dispel this myth or misunderstanding. The Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks are water soluble products, that is to say, when you apply the product to a surface in its dry form and then apply water to it, the product is activated and delivers a watercolour like format.
However, where the big difference is, once the Derwent Inktense dries, that layer cannot be lifted or removed using conventional methods. Once you apply a layer of Derwent Inktense dry and then activate it with water, you are essential working with ink, liquid ink. This would be considered similar to markers or even drawing inks you may traditionally encounter in small glass bottles. I am not saying the Derwent Inktense is exactly the same as the products mentioned, however the Inktense experience is similar.
The Derwent Inktense pencils which are on review in this particular review, sport a 3.8mm core encased within a high quality 8.0mm wood barrel. This is pretty typical of most Derwent pencils in that they provide generous core sizes and therefore pigment levels, along with a well balanced and high quality barrel girth.
The barrel for each pencil is lacquered a gorgeous, almost Prussian Blue color, a deep rich blue, making the gold metallic print on the barrels a little bit clearer than a lot of metallic printed fonts. Along the barrel, toward the front of the pencil we find “Made in England” in the same gold metallic print.
Slightly further along the barrel we see “Derwent Inktense” printed in bold font, beside which is the brush logo indicating the water soluble nature of the pencil. Further along the barrel we can clearly see the pigment name along with the pigment number for open stock purposes.
Derwent pencils famously sport the diagonal flash on the end of the barrel, so much so that the Derwent Museum building in Keswick has been painted to look like a giant graphite pencil. Of course each pencil from the Derwent range exhibits different colors and the Inktense is no different, sporting the gorgeous dark Prussian Blue barrel and an Electric Blue Flash separating the barrel from the pigment identifier.
Derwent Inktense Performance
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, although the Derwent Inktense are water soluble, they are not like traditional watercolour. Inktense once activate with water and dry, are permanent, traditional lifting methods and techniques will not work.
However, the brightness, vibrancy and saturation levels of the Inktense pencils, once activated are extraordinary. It’s not really fair to compare Inktense with traditional watercolour pencils, however, for me personally, the Museum Aquarelle are the most pigmented and vibrant watercolor pencils on the market and they don’t come close to the performance of the Inktense activated.
Inktense 100 Swatch Dry and Wet
The first thing I done was create a swatch and for this I used some Hahnmühle Collection 300gsm Cold Pressed watercolour paper. As always, if I am able to, I try to use as many different papers as I can just to help get a feel for the product on different variations of paper.
The first swatch as you can see I photographed the full 100 colors in their dry format and then after activating the swatch with water. I also wanted to show people who are looking to buy the Inktense for the first time or those who have the 72 set and are contemplating buying the 100 set or additional 28 colors, what the extra 28 colors look like and which colors currently in the 72 set, look similar to those new colors.
As you can see, the colors, both in their dry format and activated format look amazing, but once those Inktense colors are touched with water, whether you are an artist or not, I defy anyone to say they aren’t amazed by the vibrancy and saturation levels.
You can also see when creating the swatch, I applied a thick black marker line so that opacity levels could be identified from the Inktense. To be honest I thought that the Inktense would deliver some slightly more opaque colors, but translucent and opaqueness from various art supplies does not indicate quality one way or the other. Opaqueness and translucency are all simply subjective qualities we as artists may or may not like to work with.
Inktense Testing
When I was planning out the artwork for this review, I wanted a black background, but as always, using just flat black is never a good idea, so I wanted to use a rich deep purple and black combined. However I didn’t know which method would give me the most depth, either applying both the purple and black in their dry format and then activating both with water on the paper, or applying the purple, activating it and allowing it to dry before applying a layer of black and activating it. For this testing method I used a sheet of St Cuthbert’s Mill Bockingford paper, not one of St Cuthbert’s highest quality papers, but still a wonderful range and very good for students and beginners to use.
As you can see from the test I conducted to help answer this conundrum, I added layers, activating and waiting for each one to dry before applying the next. I then applied the layers dry, as you would when applying layers with traditional colored pencils, only activating with water at the very end. To me personally, I think applying the layers dry and then activating with water, creates more depth in the final piece.
Next I wanted to show what the Inktense looked like if activated using other mediums such as colourless marker blender and odourless mineral spirits. I have to say, this was not my idea, so I can’t take credit, a subscriber reached out and told me about these methods and so I decided to use them in my testing. Again, as above, the paper used for this test was St Cuthbert’s Mill Bockingford.
Here you can see the results manifested from activating dry Inktense using water, colourless blender marker and odourless mineral spirits. The OMS was pretty much useless as I expected, however I was incredibly surprised from the colourless blender marker results, although using water allowed me to pull the pigment further across the paper, the colourless blender still provided gorgeous smooth and consistent layering.
Next up on the same St Cuthbert’s Mill Bockingford Paper I wanted to show the effect, applying the pencil to a wet surface will create. Here I applied a small coverage of water to clear part of the paper. I then simply allowed the pencil to lightly travel along the damp paper, which created an interesting effect. To see this in real time, you can check out my YouTube Video Review where I conduct this very effect. Effects like this can be used for all manner of different effects, tree branches being one, reflections in water scenes, etc.
The final part of this test was to simply mix some of the colors together as I normally do with colored pencils, now you might be thinking why bother with such a test given the Inktense are water soluble. However, as you can see, I mixed the colors using water and the colourless blender marker, I was so impressed with the results of the colourless marker, I just wanted to extend this test to a bit of mixing.
Derwent Inktense 28 New Colours.
As with the swatch, I have completed a swatch of the new 28 Derwent Inktense Colors in both dry and wet format, as well as adding the black marker line. Again, the ability for a color to be opaque or translucent, has no bearing whatsoever on the products quality. Artists have their own preferences with regards to translucency and opaqueness and that is all this test demonstrates.
Below the image of the 28 new Derwent Inktense colors, I have included colors from the current 72 set that I feel are similar to the new 28 colors. I must stress that these are the colors I find similar, I have said this many times in the past, we all see color differently, so the colors I think are similar, may not be what you feel are similar. Nevertheless, you have swatches of the full 100 set, you can check out the swatches and see for yourself which colors are similar.
The only reason I have included this test is to help those artists who already own the 72 set. In providing this test and showcasing the similar colors, it helps artists that currently own the 72 set, determine if they absolutely need to get the 100 set or purchase all 28 new colors. Of course, if you are like me, it may not be that simple, it doesn’t really matter if they are similar or not, I have a compulsion to own all sets and it drives my wife crazy, but I guess this is the same for all artists partners, loved ones and families who don’t care one way or the other about art.
Derwent Inktense Artwork
I wanted to make sure that the art work I created really did the Inktense justice and showed it off in the light I feel it should be shown. The artwork itself isn’t too bad, however, and this is a lesson on the importance of paper, I selected the wrong paper surface.
I decided to use the Canson Prestige Cold Pressed paper, which is absolutely gorgeous paper, amazing for landscape and 100% cotton, however, for this particular piece I should have gone with a hot pressed paper. The hot pressed surface being much smoother would have provided me with a surface I had a bit more control on, the rougher cold pressed surface made detail a bit more difficult when applying pencil.
All in all, I was happy with the outcome, the final result, but more importantly, you can see from the images, the rich vibrancy the Inktense offers is immense. The Derwent Inktense are without doubt an art tool every artist should at least try. I am not suggesting that everyone is going to love them as I do, some artists prefer more subtle tones and palette which is absolutely fine, but for those who prefer a bit more of a punch, look no further than the Inktense.
If you would like to see more of the artwork, you can check out the still images I have added to The Art Gear Guide by selecting the link or you can watch the artwork come to life by watching the speed painting video on The Art Gear Guide YouTube channel. Whilst I am relatively happy with the artwork, my hesitancy to say I love it has nothing to do with the Derwent Inktense and everything to do with my bad choice of paper, again, nothing to do with the paper quality of the Canson Heritage, just the selection of Cold Pressed when Hot Pressed would have been better.
Derwent Inktense Lightfast Ratings
As I am sure some of you already know, Derwent use the blue wool lightfast testing system for all of their pencils, with the exception of the Lightfast Colored Pencils which use the ASTM system. That means, the blue wool lightfast testing system is rated from 1 - 8, with 8 being the highest lightfast rating and 1 being the lowest.
7 & 8 equal Excellent on the scale, 6 equals Very Good, 4 & 5 is equal to Fair, 2 & 3 is equal to poor and 1 is equal to Very Poor. If you would like to know more on both the ASTM and Blue Wool Lightfast testing systems, you can check out my extensive article by following the link.
Of the full 100 Derwent Inktense set of colored pencils, 39 pencils equal lightfast 8, 15 pencils equal lightfast 7, 18 pencils equal lightfast 6, 4 pencils equal lightfast 5, 15 pencils equal lightfast 4, 5 pencils equal lightfast 3 and finally 4 pencils equal lightfast 2. That means, if you are really strict with your lightfast ratings for commissions etc, of the 100 pencils in the set 54 pencils can be used. However, if you are happy to use 6 and 5 from the Blue Wool scale, this will obviously increase your palette. To see the lightfast scale yourself on the Derwent Website, simply follow the link.
Derwent Inktense Set Sizes
Derwent have really thrown the kitchen sink at this product in terms of time and resources and as a reviewer and colored pencil user, I totally understand why. Before we get into the various sets and set sizes, it is important to note that the Derwent entire range are available in open stock, pencils, blocks and pans.
Derwent Inktesne Colored Pencils
In the Derwent Inktense Colored Pencil range, you can purchase the following sets, Derwent Inktense Blister Pack Of 6, Derwent Inktense 12 Set, Derwent Inktense 24 Set, Derwent Inktense 36 Set, Derwent Inktense 48 Set, Derwent Inktense 72 Set and finally the new Derwent Inktense 100 Set. You can also purchase a set of 8 Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils, in a tin, along with a water brush and spray bottle.
Derwent Inktense Blocks
So many people prefer the Derwent Inktense Blocks, which I can see why, for me personally, the pencil off a bit more versatility. In the block range you can purchase the following. Derwent Inktense Blocks 12 Set, Derwent Inktense Blocks 24 Set, Derwent Inktense Blocks 36 Set, Derwent Inktense Blocks 72 Set. As of yet there is no Derwent Inktense Blocks 100 Set, this is something that may be in the pipeline. You can also purchase a further two sets in the blocks range, a 6 set of XL Derwent Inktense Blocks and a 12 set of XL Derwent Inktense Blocks.
Derwent Inktense Pans
A while ago, given the popularity of the Inktense blocks, Derwent created the Inktense pans which were even more popular. As a result Derwent recently added a 24 Pan set to their current 12 set range of pans. Each set has a different range of colors and aimed toward a certain genre.
Derwent Inktense Paper and Inktense Sets
Not that long ago I wrote about the Derwent Lightfast Paper which was designed to accompany the Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils and in my opinion, the Lightfast Paper is one of the finest papers around for colored pencil work. Well, Derwent created a paper to also accompany their successful Inktense range and again in my opinion it is a high quality paper. I only wish that I had a block of the Inktense Paper when I completed my review and artwork and I could have demonstrated just how good the paper is.
Finally, as with many Derwent products, Derwent have created a few special Inktense sets, incorporating the Derwent Carry-All case. The sets are called the “Ultimate Inktense Pencil Extension Set” of which there are two, the only difference really is the number of Inktense Pencils included. Also in the set is a full set of the new Derwent Water-Brushes, a blender and burnisher. I am not sure why the burnisher and blender are included as neither tool are used with water soluble pencils.
Derwent Inktense Prices
As with every product I review, prices vary depending on where you buy them from, for the purpose of all my reviews, I use Amazon as it is a more universal and general way of gauging prices. That being said, if you can, always support your local art stores, I think supporting our own community is so important, not all artists get to make a lot of money from selling their work, so were possible, I think it is important to support local art stores.
Derwent Inktense UK Prices
Derwent Inktense Set of 6 Pencils £13.06 , Derwent Inktense Set of 12 Pencils £19.48 , Derwent Inktense Set of 24 Pencils £39.99, Derwent Inktense Set of 36 Pencils £49.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 48 Pencils Wood Box Set £99.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Pencils £95.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Wooden Box Set £128.00, and finally the largest pencils set in the range the Derwent Inktense Set of 100 Pencils £202.98.
The Derwent Inktense Set of 12 Blocks £21.99, Derwent Inktense Set of 24 Blocks £37.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 36 Blocks £64.24, Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Blocks £124.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 6 XL Blocks £43.00 and finally the Derwent Inktense Set of 12 XL Blocks £68.94
The Derwent Inktense set of 12 Pans No 1 , Derwent Inktense set of 12 Pans No 2 , Derwent Inktense set of 24 Pans £46.05.
Finally the sets that Derwent have mixed and matched products from the other ranges in their lineup. The Derwent Inktense Wash Set , Derwent Ultimate Inktense Pencil Collection , and finally the Derwent Inktense Pencil Extension Set .
Derwent Inktense Paper 7 x 10 Inches £31.79, 9 x 12 Inches £20.00 and 12 x 16 Inches £72.29
Derwent Inktense US Prices
Derwent Inktense Set of 6 Pencils , Derwent Inktense Set of 12 Pencils $16.24, Derwent Inktense Set of 24 Pencils $33.72, Derwent Inktense Set of 36 Pencils $45.50, Derwent Inktense Set of 48 Pencils Wood Box Set $105.99, Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Pencils $100.00, Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Wooden Box Set , and finally the largest pencils set in the range the Derwent Inktense Set of 100 Pencils $174.50.
The Derwent Inktense Set of 12 Blocks , Derwent Inktense Set of 24 Blocks , Derwent Inktense Set of 36 Blocks , Derwent Inktense Set of 72 Blocks, Derwent Inktense Set of 6 XL Blocks and finally the Derwent Inktense Set of 12 XL Blocks.
The Derwent Inktense set of 12 Pans No 1 , Derwent Inktense set of 12 Pans No 2 , Derwent Inktense set of 24 Pans.
Finally the sets that Derwent have mixed and matched products from the other ranges in their lineup. The Derwent Inktense Wash Set , Derwent Ultimate Inktense Pencil Collection , and finally the Derwent Inktense Pencil Extension Set .
Unfortunately not all the sets were available on Amazon, however this is exactly why I also provide a written review, so that I can return as and when Amazon have included sets and prices and amend the review. On the YouTube reviews I upload, I can’t change anything once the review is uploaded.
Derwent Inktense 100 Set Conclusion
I think I have made my feelings on the Derwent Inktense pretty clear, they are a tremendous product, completely unique to Derwent and each pencil, block or pan packs a punch of color like never seen before. I have made no secret of the fact that I like Derwent as a company and that they have been good to me and supportive.
That being said and no matter how good or supportive a company has been to me, my primary loyalty is to you guys, you who watch my videos, read my reviews, look at my artwork and support me in my time of need. However this is the same for all of these companies including Derwent, they are loyal and supportive of their customers and so it is is a symbiotic relationship reviewers like me and companies have together.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, I totally understand that some artists of the water soluble persuasion, prefer a more subtle palette when it comes to their paintings, be they landscape, botanical or otherwise. However, there are swaths of artists who love vibrancy, contrast and punch in their artwork and for those such artists, the Derwent Inktense could be exactly what they are looking for. If you are one such artist of the latter, and you have yet to experience the delights of the Derwent Inktense range, I highly suggest you test them and give them ago, to not would be a disservice to your creative heart.
To watch my YouTube video review of the Derwent Inktense 100 set simply follow the link, if you would like to watch the artwork come to life you can watch my speed painting by following the link or if watching speed paintings are not your thing, you can check out the still images I have added to The Art Gear Guide.
